Soups are enjoyed mostly in the winter and there are different types of soups that include vegetables, beans, meat, fish and steak versions. In fact, every type of variety is there. You can pick the finest ingredients that provide hearty flavors according to your choices and preferences.

Commonly, there are two types of soups; thick and clear soup. This recipe is a thick version that combines some healthy ingredients like kale and beans. The kale is added to provide fiber, which help you lose fat and stay lean. It is one of the great and first choices if you want to include taste in a meal, while keeping calories low. If you never tried kale before then it is a great way to start. Kale also helps lower diabetes and reduces the risk of heart diseases. Kale is high in fiber and water content which help prevent constipation and promote a healthy digestive tract. Another important ingredient is beans that is super healthy and high in fiber, antioxidants, protein, vitamin B, iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, and potassium.

 

 

 

 

Serves 6

Ingredients

• Pinch of salt, or to taste
• 2 chopped onions
• 3-4 cups organic vegetable broth
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 16-ounces beans, rinsed and drained (personal choice preferred)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup celery
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 cup potatoes, cubed
• 1 bundle of kale,
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

Preparation

• Take a large pan and heat olive oil in it.
• Add celery, carrots, onions and cook for about 15 minutes at medium heat.
• Next, add salt and garlic.
• Then add broth and bring the mixture to boil.
• At this stage, add the potatoes and kale.
• Lower the heat and cook for about 25 minutes with the lid on.
• Meanwhile, take a blender and add beans.
• Blend until smooth.
• Add the bean puree to the soup mixture and boil for another 10 minutes.
• If you like, you can add beans straight.
• Stir in rosemary and red wine vinegar at the end.
• Boil for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle pepper according to taste.
• Serve and enjoy.

 

 

 

 

Sipping into a rich turkey broth, filled with turkey meat and aromatic veggies – is a soul-satisfying experience which words can’t describe. A bowl of turkey and veggie soup will help you shed off all the exhaustion after a busy day.

This turkey soup is a great away to use up any leftover animal carcass to brew the rich, flavorsome broth; your refrigerator will be cleaned up too! Pull off any meat that clings to the bones and wrap them up for later use while you use up the bones for the stock. As long as you are willing to go through this tedious job of deboning the meat and simmering the broth, you’ll be rewarded with an amazingly economical and protein-dense soup that can dispel any exhaustion.

Apart from being enriched with protein, the soup receives a healthy dose of nutrients from the parsnips, carrot and leeks. While the leeks will entice your senses with its subtle aroma, the peppery flavor of parsnips adds a hint of robustness to the broth without overpowering its savoriness. You may also throw in fresh corn kernels, rice or barley to make it heartier.

Overall, it’s so delicious that you would love to be stuck there for days!

Ingredients:

For the broth:

• Bones from one turkey
• 3 large carrots, cut into large dices
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2-3 celery stalks, chopped
• 15-20 parsley sprigs
• 10-12 black peppercorns

For the soup:

• 4 lb. prepared turkey broth
• ½ stick butter
• 2-4 lb. turkey meat, diced
• 1 lb. parsnips, peeled and chopped
• 2 leek stalks, rinsed and sliced
• 5 celery stalks with leaves, chopped
• 1/8 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 2 tsp. fresh sage, finely chopped
• 2 tsp. dried thyme
• 4 tbsp. fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
• Salt to taste

Instructions:

• For the broth, place all its ingredients into a large pot and pour in enough water to cover them completely; break the bones which don’t fit.
• Bring the broth to a boil and place a lid on top.
• Reduce to a simmer and simmer for 2 hours.
• Drain out the bones and veggies with a slotted spoon and tip the remaining broth into a cheesecloth-lined sieve to strain into a clean pot.
• Discard the bones and set the carrots aside using tongs.
• Place the pot of strained liquid on a stove and bring it back to a boil.
• Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 more hours until it thickens and its flavors develop further.
• Remove from heat and allow it to cool completely.
• Set 4 lb of it aside and freeze the rest for future use.
• For the soup, add the butter into the pot and melt over medium heat.
• Throw in the chopped celery, onion, leeks and herbs along with a dash of salt.
• Sauté over slightly low heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the leeks and onion turn translucent.
• Pour in the stock and bring the mixture to a boil.
• Plop in the meat chunks, cooked carrots, chopped celery as well as parsnips and bring it back to a boil.
• Reduce to a simmer over low heat and cook, covered, for a couple of hours.
• Ladle into soup bowls and serve hot with chunks of crusty bread.

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Paleo diet is the new diet trend, because of its immense health benefits. Technically the food eaten by the cavemen, a paleo diet encourages hearty meals and intake of animal protein. Though it might sound like a diet custom-made for men, Paleo food is proven to work wonders for women. Paleo lifestyle eliminates sugar and soy, a phytoestrogen, both responsible for mood swings, menstrual cramps and add several inches to your waistline. Rather, this diet encourages intake of healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids which ensure superior cognitive abilities in offspring. It’s nutrient-dense thus maintaining a hormonal balance and ensure fertility.

Now that you have enough reasons to go Paleo, it’s time to check out the perfect grub to kick-start your healthy culinary venture. Try out this simple Paleo version of classic butternut squash soup. It’s deliciously creamy, in spite of being dairy-free (another Paleo restriction) and has the elegance of a gourmet delicacy. Yet, it calls for affordable ingredients available in every supermarket or lurking in your pantry.

The soup gets it silky texture from the thick coconut milk and pureed sweet potatoes, the latter compensating for the lack of sugar as well. The aromatic leeks make sure that the soup is far from being bland and boring like an ordinary healthy dish. The entire ensemble not only work together to turn the soup into an ultimate gastronomic indulgence, but makes it filling enough to be enjoyed as a light meal all by itself. So warm up to its savory flavors and enjoy its nourishing goodness!

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lb. butternut squash, peeled and diced
• 12 oz. sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 medium leeks, sliced
• ½ cup thick coconut milk
• 4-6 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp. coconut oil
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• Chopped green onions, to garnish

Instructions:

• Drizzle oil in a pot and heat it over medium heat until it simmers.
• Throw in the chopped veggies and leeks along with a dash each of salt and pepper.
• Stir fry for 5 minutes until the veggies begin to brown and pour in enough broth to immerse the ingredients completely.
• Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
• Cook likewise for 20 minutes, stirring at times, until the sweet potatoes turn tender.
• Blend them with a handheld blender until smooth and fold in the coconut milk.
• Cook for a minute to reheat the soup and ladle into soup bowls.
• Sprinkle little chopped green onions on top of each serving and sip in to relax!

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Freezer-friendly meals are a bonus to busy moms who don’t have the time to sweat in the kitchen for hours to cook a sumptuous meal. You can make a huge batch of your favorite freezable dinners and store in the freezer for weeks as your go-to dinner. Beef patty is one such dish which can be frozen raw till you get a meat craving. Simply defrost and bake in the oven at 350 degrees F until its internal temperature soars up to 160 degrees F to enjoy a comforting dinner after a tiresome day as a busy mom. While sandwiching these patties between bun halves is the most popular way to enjoy them, have them with crunchy leafy greens and sweet potato fries for a yummier, healthy dinner.

But no matter how you serve beef patties, they tend to taste boring at times. Though different choices of meat and seasonings kill the monotony to some extent, but introducing an unconventional ingredient can make the flavors pop! Blueberries do the job perfectly and not only add a pleasant fruity sweetness to the otherwise savory flavors of the patties but also make them melt in your mouth. And using healthy berries in your dinner has its own perks too! To begin with, they are loaded with vitamins and minerals like Vitamin A and K, calcium, iron and potassium. They supply a healthy dose of carbs that restore the energy you have lost throughout the day.

Let’s not make you wait anymore and run off to the recipe!

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. 93% lean ground beef
• ½ cup fresh blueberries
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ½ cup steel-cut oatmeal
• 1 tbsp. cumin powder
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Olive oil cooking spray

Instructions:

• Toss the oats, blueberries and garlic with Worcestershire sauce and a dash each of cumin, salt, and pepper until well combined.
• Place the ground beef in it and mix them together with your hands until nicely incorporated,
• Split the mixture into 4 equal portions and shape each of them into 4’’ wide patty of 1’’ thickness.
• Mist cooking spray on a skillet and heat it over medium-high heat.
• Place the patties on it and cook each side for 4-5 minutes or until its internal temperature rises to 160 degrees F as indicated by an instant-read thermometer.
• Slide two on each serving plate and enjoy with your family.

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Don’t underestimate this quinoa soup as a mere starter. The quinoa and chock full of veggies turn this soup into ‘dinner in a bowl’ which nourish and satisfy the appetite without making you feel heavy on the stomach.

Every sip of this soup will warm your soul. It hardly calls for any seasoning other than salt and pepper and gets its mild flavors from the veggies cooked in the broth. In spite of being loaded with veggies, this soup is surprisingly light and easy to digest; thanks to the quinoa. This is particularly beneficial for women who have a tendency to develop gas or find their meal difficult to digest. Apart from its easy digestibility, quinoa supplies you with all the eight essential amino acids as well as iron and fiber, thus making this soup a balanced meal, all by itself. The nutrients from the veggies are an added bonus!

This healthy broth is not only deliciously nutritious, but is also fast and fuss-free to make, especially once you are done with prepping the veggies. It makes a large meal with lots of leftovers which freeze well for months.  What an absolute lifesaver for busy ladies!

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup quinoa, washed
• ¼ cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced sweet potatoes
• ¼ cup frozen peas
• 1 cup finely chopped white onions
• 1 cup finely chopped Swiss chard leaves
• 1 tbsp. chopped cilantro leaves
• ½ tsp. dried Mexican oregano
• 1 tbsp. light olive oil, plus more as necessary
• 2 ½ cups water
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Avocado slices, to serve

Method:

• Drizzle oil in a large soup pot and heat it over medium heat until it simmers.
• Throw in the onions and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until they turn soft.
• Add the carrot and sweet potato chunks and continue to sauté for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally to coat the veggies well with the oil.
• Stir in the uncooked quinoa along with a dash each of oregano, black pepper and a dash of salt until nicely incorporated.
• Pour in the water and bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
• Plop in the frozen peas and reduce heat to a simmer.
• Place a lid on top and continue to simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the veggies are fork-tender while the quinoa is cooked through.
• Drizzle little extra olive oil in a separate skillet and heat over medium heat.
• Throw in the chopped Swiss chard leaves and flash fry for a minute.
• Tip them into the simmering soup and ladle it into serving bowls.
• Sprinkle the chopped cilantro over them and arrange the avocado slices on top.
• Serve warm.

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What happens when Mexican cooking joins hands with Argentinian cuisine with Asian elements for company? An outstanding mix of flavors that one must experience in order to understand its extravagance. Enjoy a sumptuous meal of soy-ginger carne asada with chimichurri sauce and let its lush flavors pamper you after a hectic day at work.

Carne asada is basically grilled flank steak served on tortillas with typical Mexican additions like chopped tomatoes, guacamole, jalapenos and sour cream on top. While this classic ensemble has enough zing to make your taste buds happy, a twist is always welcomed for change of flavors. So ditch the regular additions and serve carne asada with fresh chimichurri sauce. This Argentinian sauce is made of fresh herbs with a hint of garlicky goodness – a combination which makes the pile of charred-yet-perfectly succulent meat taste so divine. However, it’s the Japanese marinade which adds pizzazz to the ubiquitous steak so that it stands out among its counterparts. So give a whirl to the traditional Mexican fare and surprise your taste buds with a mouth-watering meal for dinner.

 

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

For the steak:

• 1 ½ lb. lean flank steak, fat trimmed

For the marinade:

• 2 tbsp. honey
• 9 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. white sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp. garlic, grated
• 2 tbsp. scallions, chopped
• 1 tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
• 5 tbsp. sesame oil
• ¼ tsp. black pepper
• ½ tsp. salt

For the chimichurri sauce:

• 1 ½ cups fresh parsley leaves
• ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• ¼ cup green onion, chopped
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To serve:

• 2-4 corn tortillas
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 ears fresh sweet corn, kernels separated and boiled
• 1 tbsp. olive oil

Instructions:

• Place all the marinade ingredients in a large resealable plastic bag, seal and shake to mix well.
• Stuff the flank in it and flip it over to coat both sides; refrigerate overnight to marinate.
• For the chimichurri sauce, dump all its ingredients into a blender and blend until roughly pureed.
• Spoon it into an airtight container and refrigerate until necessary.
• To cook the steak, drain out the slab of meat from the marinade and place it on a hot grill grate.
• Grill each side for 5 minutes to cook to medium doneness and transfer onto a cutting board.
• Allow to cool slightly for 10 minutes and cut it into thin slices.
• Toss the boiled sweet corn with basil leaves and olive oil until well combined and set aside.
• Arrange the beef strips along each tortilla and spoon the prepared sauce over it.
• Top it up with the corn mixture and wrap the tortilla into a roll.
• Serve right away.

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